ALMISKEENAH :: June

June 30, 2008

twice leaving [leaving] — almiskeenah @ 8:53 pm

Insha’Allah this is the last post before Umrah and then the long trip Down Under. Insha’Allah I intend to blog a little once there. Meanwhile this is the latest in this City of Luminence and Peace….

..pavement work continues outside the fences of the courtyard.

The last glimpse of the Dome of Felicity until our return. May Allah Ta’ala extend His blessings to one and all during this emotional separation.

The new umbrellas have begun to arrive…these loaders have just left the first lot in front of Bab Salam.

I was hoping to see the first one raised into position, but it was not meant to be.

I am sure by the time we are back there will be several in place…such a massive project nearing completion, Alhumdulillah.

Friends currently staying in the top floor of the middle building. Masjid Abu Bakr in the foreground….

….with renovations revealing the origianl stone walls.

Views from their window….

….once the umbrellas are installed the courtyard will not be visible when they are open…

…and once the current construction is finished maybe the view of Masjid Nabawi will be no longer…

….Jannatul Baqi in the distance….I ask for your forgiveness for all that I may have said or not said, all the known and the unknown shortcomings, all the intentional and unintentional mishaps. And even though I will not be in the vicinity of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam to convey your Salams, I take my ‘list’ with me to keep you all in my Du’a, Insha’Allah. Please remember this humble speck, with the hope that I will be brought back to this Mubarak dust, Ameen. May our love for each other for the sake of Allah Ta’ala unite us in Jannah, Ameen.

O ALLAH! Assist us all in our struggles as we endeavour to earn Your favours! Shower us all with Your mercy and accept our feeble efforts…guide us all to be stronger as we all journey to You on various and diverse roads. IGHFIRLANA YA GHAFOOR! Igfirlana ya Rabbana! Ighfirlana Ya Lateef! Wa Salli Ala Sayyidna Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and on his family and companions, one and all, RadhiAllahu anhum, Ammen.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

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June 27, 2008

10 things I like this juma’ah [Juma'ah Mubarak] — almiskeenah @ 4:28 pm

Ten things I love this Juma’ah:

1. The heady fragrance of Oud hanging in the air.

2. Reciting 80 times after Asr Salat on Juma’ah, knowing that Allah Ta’ala promises to forgive 80 years of sins and bestows 80 years of good deeds. This was related by Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu after hearing it from the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

Allahumma salli ala Muhammadini’n nabiyyi’l ummiyyi wa ‘ala alihi wa sallim taslima

"O Allah, bestow your blessings upon the unlettered Prophet and upon his family; and bestow your Mercy upon him and his family."

3. Receiving the following email from a dear sister, JazakiLlahu khairan!

`Abdullah ibn Rawahah (RAA), whenever he met one of the Companions of the Prophet (salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam), used to say, "Come, let us believe in our Lord for a while." When the Prophet (salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) heard about this, he said, "May Allah have mercy on Ibn Rawahah, for he loves the gatherings that the angels feel proud to attend."

Let us sit down and believe for a while…

In the dappled sunlight of this June afternoon

Amongst the swaying leaves and the violet bloom

I promise not to ramble on about economic pacts

I will not bore you with depressing trade facts

And partake neither in vain babble nor pretension-

But instead marvel at the exquisite surface tension,

Of a single drop of tender dew

Serenely dripping into view.

Sunlight plays delicately on the Noor and grace

That illuminate your gentle face

Oh my friend, let us sit down and believe for a while

Lest we stray towards the less worthwhile

Pursuits and pleasures and lofty attitudes

And conceits and egos of great altitudes-

I would rather be inspired by this beleaguered ant,

Resolutely forging towards the garden plants!

(A noble ant, whether it can make it or it can’t).

My friend, let us sit down and believe for a while-

Let us pray Asr and then directly after

Deeply contemplate the nearing Hereafter

And pray and pray and sometimes ruminate

And ask for forgiveness in this humble state.

The trees will securely shade our prostrate forms

Swathed and billowing in cotton storms!

And I hope and hope, and I pray and pray

To be as securely shaded on Judgement Day.

My friend, let us sit down and believe for a while

Lest we get caught up in some erring lifestyle

And so do not reflect upon His creation or ponder

And idle away the afternoons in petty squander

No, let us sit down and believe for a while-

No matter what the task or worldly trial.

And may we never come to sorrow at this day’s end

That we spent in prayer with a believing friend-

For we sat down with a smile, we sat down and believed awhile.

4. Squeezing fresh orange juice for guests.

5. Eating ‘hadiyah’ honey dew melons.

6. Feeling a jiggly hidden deep down excitement thinking that by this time next Juma’ah I will be Down Under with family I have not seen in many years.

7. Appreciating this Beloved City of Light and Radiance even more knowing there will be a short separation.

8. Reading from the Dalail Khayrat.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad to the extent of Your forbearance.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad to the extent of Your Knowledge.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad as many times as Your words.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad to the extent of Your favour.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad to the fullness of Your skies.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad to the fullness of Your earth.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad to the fullness of Your Throne.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad in the decoration of Your Throne.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad in all that the Pen has written in the Mother of the Book.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad as much as You have created in Your Seven Heavens.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad as much as You will create in them until the Day of Resurrection and every day a thousand times.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad in every drop of rain that has fallen from Your heavens to Your earth from the day You created the world to the Day of Resurrection and every day a thousand times.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad as many times as those who have glorified You, declared Your unity, magnified You and extolled You from the day You created the world to the Day of Resurrection and every day a thousand times.

O Allah, bless our master Muhammad in every one of their breaths and their utterances.

9. Wrapping gifts. Brown paper packages all tied up with string!

10. Finally having a few minutes to blog in days that are full of busy-ness, Alhumdulillah!

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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June 24, 2008

the mosquito [the created] — almiskeenah @ 9:14 pm

He created everything and made them to an exact measure. (25:2)

O Mankind, here is an illustration, so listen carefully: those you call on besides Allah could not, even if they combined all their forces, create a fly, and if a fly took something away from them, they would not be able to retrieve it. (22:73)

Verily, Allah is not ashamed to set forth a parable even of a mosquito (gnat) or something more insignificant. (2:26)

Hauntingly beautiful:

‘Ya Man Yara’ Oh Who Sees.

Oh! Who sees the mosquito spread its wings
In the darkness of the black night

And sees its vein in its upper chest
And the brain in these thin bones

And sees blood running in its jugular vein
Moving from one joint to another

Forgive me
For what I have previously done

And sees the embryo nurturing inside it
In the darkness of its innards without looking

And sees its footsteps
In its quick and rushing movements

And sees and hears other beings
In the bottom of the dark and huge sea

Forgive me
For what I have previously done

Ahmad Bukhatir

~*~

Allah says: If this world would be equal to the wing of mosquito then I should not give a sip of water to the Kafir.

Narrated Abu Hurairah RadiAllahu anhu: Allah’s Apostle SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, "On the Day of Resurrection, a huge fat man will come who will not weigh the weight of the wing of a mosquito in Allah’s sight." and then the Prophet added, ‘We shall not give them any weight on the Day of Resurrection’

Shaytan perches on the left shoulder ready to inject his poison once we are neglectful of the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala.

~*~

The mosquito flaps its wings about 500 times per second to fly at a speed of approximately three miles per hour. It is only the female that sucks blood which she does in order to feed her eggs, as she obtains her nourishment from floral nectar. The mosquito has 100 eyes in its head, 48 teeth, 3 complete hearts, six cutting implements in its snout, each with a unique function and three wings on either side. An internal digital X ray machine that distinguishes the human skin in the dark as a violet colour. It injects a vaccine that works as a local anesthetic to help insert its snout into the skin without the pain of sucking the blood being felt. It has blood testing abilities as it does not like all types of blood, along with a mechanism to speed the flow of the blood as it sucks so it can be drawn faster. Dengue fever is transmitted to humans by the a particular type of mosquito which only feeds during the day. Several hundred deaths each year in the Kingdom are attributed to this second to malaria disease.

It is said that Namrood the Kafir king of Babylon during the time of Ibrahim Alaihis Salam met his death partially due to a mosquito flying up his nostril. It aggravated him so much that he told his advisors to bash his head in the hope of dislodging the mosquito. So they bashed his head with a shoe resulting in his death. SubhanAllah, how Allah Ta’ala used this tiny insect leading to the death of this ruthless tyrant.

This Enlightened City does have mosquitoes, more so around the areas where there are villas with gardens. Alhumdulillah not many, unlike Jeddah and other places.

ALLAHU AKBAR! SUBHANALLAH! Such is the GREATNESS of Allah Ta’ala, the Creator, the ALL-SEEING, Who sees not only what is on the outside of us, but what is in our minds and what is in our hearts, just as He can see and know the minutest detail of the tiny mosquito.

Forgive me
For what I have previously done.

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June 22, 2008

the old and the new [streets of madinah] — almiskeenah @ 10:40 pm

Wandering around some of the older areas of this Radiant City feels as though one is in an alien place…and yet in less than a few minutes one is amidst the ultra modern constructions that surround the Haram.

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June 21, 2008

our death is our wedding with eternity [Baqi Gharqad and death] — almiskeenah @ 8:13 pm

The silence of not hearing the call for the Janazah Salat after the Fardh Salat is uncommon. Not that there weren’t any deaths in Madinah since the last prayer, just that the deceased may not have been prepared in time. Hospitals have the rule that once someone has passed over two hours must elapse before they release the body. Many choose to wash and shroud their loved ones in the home, with staff from the central ‘Department of Preparation’, the funeral facility adjacent to Jannatul Baqi, attending, bringing the folding, slatted wooden bench for Ghusl and the shroud if the family does not already have this. Many add the leaves and bark from the Sidr tree, camphor and attar between the layers of the shroud. If the deceased is prepared in the home they still must be taken to the Department of Preparation, before being transported to Masjid Nabawi. Such is the journey, a final departure towards a final arrival.

Allah Ta’ala has long ago written the time He will send Malakul Maut to visit each and every one of us. Some will be given a specified time to prepare, others will be decreed to be taken back to our Rabb at an instant. We all know we shall taste death…yet very few of us give this journey much thought as we become more and more entangled in the distractions this fleeting existence is constantly tempting us with. Almost 7000 people across the world pass away every hour. Nothing is predicable or preventable; age, cause, place, time, are all Allah Ta’ala’s sole domain.

"The servant will certainly labour under the difficulties and agonies of death. His joints will bid each other farewell, saying ‘Peace be upon you! You are parting from me and I am parting from you until the Day of Judgement’" said our Blessed Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

We will reap what we have sown, journeying from this temporal abode that we have been deluded with, thinking is permanent, to the beginning of the next life that is Eternal.

The words of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam should help us to be alert and awake to reality of deception in this world:

"Truly smart is the person who controlled his desires and prepared for life after death."

Remembering death is as an antidote for deception, bringing into focus that soon we all will be standing before Allah Ta’ala, accountable for our obedience as well as our disobedience. Not an atom’s weight; good or bad escapes the knowledge of Allah Ta’ala, but at least there is hope, Insha’Allah.

Our death is our wedding with eternity.

What is the secret? "God is One."

The sunlight splits when entering the windows of the house.

This multiplicity exists in the cluster of grapes;

It is not in the juice made from the grapes.

For he who is living in the Light of God,

The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.

Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,

For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.

Fix your eyes on God and do not talk about what is invisible,

So that he may place another look in your eyes.

It is in the vision of the physical eyes

That no invisible or secret thing exists.

But when the eye is turned toward the Light of God

What thing could remain hidden under such a Light?

Although all lights emanate from the Divine Light

Don’t call all these lights "the Light of God";

It is the eternal light which is the Light of God,

The ephemeral light is an attribute of the body and the flesh.

…Oh God who gives the grace of vision!

The bird of vision is flying towards You with the wings of desire.

Rumi

The children whose art work often graces the pages of this humble space are currently dealing with one of the more ugly faces of death. Their maternal grandmother, who as yet has not been gifted with Hidayah has been given moments to live. Many of us, whose extended families are of us but not of us, need your Du’a; pleading to Allah the Almighty, that His Mercy pierces their hearts before it is too late, especially this loved Grandma.

Oh God, who gives the grace of vision, in her final hours of darkness, let her bird of vision fly towards Your Light. May the journey she is about to take be to You, as You reach out to her, Ameen. And may those of us already blessed with the gift of Iman prepare for the inevitable journey as if each day is our last, Ameen.

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June 20, 2008

Juma’ah and Umm Adam [Juma'ah Mubarak] — almiskeenah @ 4:23 pm

Once more sharing some snippets from Umm Adam whose reflections on life with two young boys I previously posted.

~*~

The Right Way UP!

"Little Muhammad just loves reading books"

I told my friend,

As we watched him engrossed in his story,

His little face hidden by the large cover.

"Really?" she blinked.

"Has he learned anything?"

"He has learnt to hold it the right way up!" I told her happily.

Allah!

Now as I hold Your Book in my hand,

I wonder,

If I have learned to read it the right way "UP"?

~*~

Don’t Tell The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam!!

I was in a terrible fix, stuck in the middle of a war between my 4 and 2 year old Adam and Muhammad. "ZZZZZZ… rrrrrrr… Im zooming in the sky, outa my way hey you" and THUD he ran into the poor kid. He stumbled, lost his balance and tumbled onto the floor. "aaaaaaaaaay.. Aay… gggggg" He screamed angrily at his older bro, who without any remorse was turning his bike to run into him again. After getting it more than a few times, the little tyke finally had it, he looked around, found nothing (by this time you should know that I was praying, at least what I seemed to be doing, though unintentionally, my mind was fully concentrated on what was going on around me)…I heard his little feet scurrying to the store,, and my! what he got, a broom!!! shooo he swung it around like a baseball bat, Adam ducked and it hit me right on the face. I tasted the dusty hair on my tongue. ZZZZZZ.

The second I did my first salam Adam had already sprinted off. I bellowed. ADAM!! I could hear him giggling in the bedroom. "AADAAM! Come here this instance!!" My voice reverberating thru the width and length of the corridor. "Mama please don’t shout, You are disturbing me, I’m studying.." he said innocently, what a nerve! I thought for a second and called out "Come here, Story time!" And before I knew it he was sitting right in front of me. "I’ll tell you which one, the one in which ……." He went on to tell me the story I was supposed to tell him.

"Wait, wait, first things first, have you brushed your teeth? Ready for bed?"

"Yeah, and my tongue also..what is the story about mama?"

"About a little-naughty companion" I smiled into his eyes meaningfully.

"Yesss!!" He said gleefully.

"There once was a companion, you know who a companion is, don’t you?"

"Yeah, those Muslims who lived with the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam are called companions". He said impatiently, anxious to hear the story.

"Good for you! so a companion may Allah be pleased with him was asleep…"

"Mama Mama" He cut me short urgently."Remember you were worried if the AC was rumbling? It was not the AC, it was grandma snoring" He confided in me.

"Adam! What if grannie heard what you just said!! You know better than to comment on your elders. It’s rude!!…"

"She doesn’t know she snores?" he frowned incredulously.

"It doesn’t matter if she knows or not.. now.. enough of that snoring stuff. ok? So that companion May Allah be pleased with him, was taking a nap when another companion wanted to have some fun on the poor man’s expense, so he poked him gently with a stick" "Very gently, like this?" he motioned with his hand.

"Yeah, but the sleeping companion was startled out of his sleep, he sat up abruptly like this, some companions laughed at that, and guess what the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam did?"

"He hugged the sleeping companion?" he suggested quickly.

"NO, he told them that a Muslim should never startle or scare another Muslim, because we are meant to be kind and gentle with each other and should never hurt or make fun of anyone."

"So then the companions started crying?" he asked thoughtfully.

"No, why would they?" I was perplexed.

"Because they laughed first and so when…"He went on to explain his theory.

"Ooooh, That!" You always have to expect the least expected with KIDS.

"Honey, it’s not the point that they laughed or cried, well sort of,, but actually the point is that the other companion should not have startled him in the first place. Get it?"

"Hmmmm" he gazed in the space as he always did when he finally got something in his head.
"So what have we learned from this story? That we should never scare anyone AND should never run our bike into anyone. What do you think the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam would say if he learns that you scared your poor helpless kid brother and even bumped your bike into him.hmmm?

"Will he be sad then?" He asked quietly, already looking hurt..

"Why Of course, he loves his Ummah so much and he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt."

"And he won’t let me ride his horse in Jannah??" Now he is starting to think, about time.

"Well.. if you promise you will never do that again, and say sorry to your bro, everything will be alright. And the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam would still be proud of you"

"But he hit me with the broom!!" He fumed.

"Well I don’t want to have an argument at this time, you know who is right and who is wrong, think it over yourself and tell me how you make up your mind later, now say your prayers and go to sleep. We have to get up early for fajr, close your eyes, not a peek. Assalamu alaikum"

After some time when it was dark and quiet, he crawled up next to me "Mama are you sleeping?" He whispered.

"Hmmmm? What is it?" I drawled.

"Mama, don’t tell the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam that I’m mean to Muhammad ok?" Boy was he ever worried!

Something snapped inside. I held back the urge to kiss him. "You promise you won’t be unkind to him again?"

"I’m not sure actually but I will try" Now he was using my words against me… a naughty smile spreading across his cheeks. "Ok mama, deal?" He was anxious to clear up the matter before somebody delivered it to his dear Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

I thought for a second and smiled "Deal, now close your eyes". I watched him go to sleep grinning ear to ear, maybe already riding his camel in Jannah.

Something was bothering me inside. I gazed out the window…the wind was howling thru the trees… a grasshopper was singing constantly….the moon was bright. Everything was quiet…. so noisily quiet. Somewhere far away in the desert, a man was crying…. he was 14 centuries far away and and yet… he felt so close…. his tears so real. I could feel his heart beating with sincerity and concern for the whole humanity and especially for his Ummah. And as I lay listening to him pray, "ya Rabbi Ummati, O my Lord, my Ummah!" my heart ached… Ummah? "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves, and being kind among themselves, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well, then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it" (Bukhari)"

His words echoed in my mind. Thousands of Muslims were burnt to death in Gujrat while a Muslim boy spent half an hour in front of the mirror, tending his spikes, humming to an Indian song. Ummah? … Millions of Muslims have been killed in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan and we still believe in peaceful negotiations, and mutual cultural seminars.. Ummah?. Thousands of Bosnian Muslims were killed by Serbs in ethnic cleansing a few decades back and a college girl asks me "What is Albania?" Ummah?. We felt shy to wear patched clothes like Sunnah but had no remorse to tear our jeans on the knees to blindly follow western fashion. Ummah? And today my friend calls to tell me that her aunt, a mother with 2 kids was maimed and burned to death in Islamabad Cantt. Ummah??

I wish I could say to my Mom " Mother, don’t tell the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam how wretched an Ummah we have become." and sleep with a smile on my face.

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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June 18, 2008

O Majestic Moon 7 [O Majestic Moon] — almiskeenah @ 10:08 pm

O Majestic Moon,

Your gaze may have fallen on the sweet little hands
engrossed in decorating the Mubarak Sandal image.
May Allah Ta’ala bless each stroke of the pencil
by sowing seeds of love for Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam
deep in the hearts of these cherished daughters,
enlightening the family with adherance to the Sunnah
and an attachment to all that binds them to him.

O Majestic Moon,

Did you see the dedication and passion
by one discerning in colour
in every bead stitched,
a devoted soul immersed in her adoration
for the Perfection of Creation?
May Allah Ta’ala adorn her world
with protection
and all that shines from His Treasures.

O Majestic Moon,

Maybe your glow was enhanced
as you smilingly
witnessed a generous slave,
as he was favoured by Al-Kareem,
delicately wrapping this Sandal as a gift
to fly across pathways shared by you;
high above mountains, oceans, rivers and forests
all echoing sublime sounds,
a never ending remembrance
for the One Whom
the faithful bow in praise,
glorifying Him for your light,
your constancy, your beauty.
A beauty that vanishes when compared
to the Owner of the Sandals.

O Majestic Moon,

You must hear pebbles still singing
sand humming with rocks
orchestrating a fugue called Veneration
in honour of the noble footsteps of Al-Mushaffa’
as his Sandals gently passed over them.
Even now mere mortals hesitate to tread softly
on such sanctified ground.

O Majestic Moon,

How magnified the glistening dust
that clung to the leather sole
must be imprinted in your vision,
along with the blessed long fingers
mending his noble na’lain,
adjusting the two straps.
Oh to be that thread
held in his clasp,
or a doorstep,
the base of a palm tree,
the flank of a camel,
the side of a well,
a grassy grove
any setting
where the sandals were placed.

O Majestic Moon,

His sandals are the crown of the Throne’s seat
due to the Divine honour of it kissing them.

‘It is not for the image that my heart is longing.
Yet it yearns for the one who wore this Sandal.
We are lowered by awe to honour this Sandal.
And whenever we lower before it we are raised.
So place it on the highest shelf!
For indeed in reality it is a crown and only outwardly a Sandal’

Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabhani

(from a previous post)

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June 14, 2008

diligence [construction] — almiskeenah @ 10:14 pm

…the eastern courtyard…

…view of a new hotel nearing completion from visitors window…

….while this established hotel undergoes extensive renovations…

….most of the walkways around the perimeter of the Haram fence are being replaced with new marble…

….while the emerald jewel pierces the hearts of the seekers…

(forgive the brevity, it was either this or yet another blank. Busy. Alhumdulillah, and not forgetting all your names in the presence of the dearest Beloved of the Merciful SallAllahu alaihi wasallam)

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June 12, 2008

projected plans [construction] — almiskeenah @ 9:03 pm

The proliferation of construction projects within the Kingdom is gigantically massive, to say the least. The scale and statistics all seem so boggling. (1, 2)

Madinah is bursting at the seams with new estates booming on the outskirts of the second ring road. Housing projects are on the rise as locals from the inner city areas are forced to find alternative accommodation as all prime land near Masjid Nabawi is snapped up for hotel complexes. News this week that the Date Market is to be relocated to make way for more hotels is a surprise as it is currently in an ideal location for pilgrims.

Al-Tital is one of the new suburban projects, below, and more here.

While huge swathes of Makkah continues to be pounded to dust. JazakumuLlahu khairan for those who have forwarded these images, I think the series is doing the rounds on the net. Scroll down for more here, including a video.

There is a lot of ongoing speculation regarding the long term plans for Makkah. Today in the Arabic Al-Watan is an article alluding to future expansion projects. The following two images were in the print edition, but not online as potential plans being submitted for consideration. Some ideas are for within the next decade, others looking further ahead to the next hundred years and more! Ambitious?

While this super futuristic possibility, below, is from here, along with many other diagrams and feasibility designs. Note, all of this is speculative, but one of the discussions mentions that they are aiming for up 14 million to be in Makkah at any one time! And Allah Ta’ala knows best. May He Subhanahu wa Ta’ala guide us, Ameen.

And what is the fate of this and the other current plans for Jabal Umar, Khandamah and Shamiah etc, (see previous post for artist renderings of these developments) if the area becomes a flattened disc?

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.
May Allah Ta’ala guide us, Ameen.

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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June 11, 2008

99 beads [salawaat] — almiskeenah @ 8:46 pm

What seems long long long ago on the island of Santorini a rosary was gifted to me by the priest of a Carmelite Monastery. For a small fee one could stay in rooms within the inner courtyard close to where the cloistered nuns lived in total seclusion from the world. I was told some had been there for more than sixty years! They would regularly attend a service seated behind wooden screens as they chanted various litanies. One can imagine how many trillions of rosaries they would have completed.

While on this same island a silver mala, ‘garland’ (Buddhist prayer beads) was purchased. Traditionally these beads total 108. An auspicious number for Buddhists. Tibetan women divide their long dark hair into 108 small plaits. A mantra would be recited for each bead.

Fascinating how fundamentally the innate nature of man’s desire is submission, seeking various, but also similar methods in attempting to dive to depths divine.

Sometime later whilst still searching for Truth, thinking it was to be found in Tibet where I happened to be, this silver mala broke. It was in a tiny earthen floor hut when the beads scattered in all directions. Try as I may I could only retrieve 99 beads. Just as the thread shattered, so it seemed did my soul at the time. I carefully wrapped the 99 beads in a cloth, securely tying and placing them in one of the inner pouches of the back pack. This seemingly insignificant incident was to be a momentous and symbolic turning point in my seeking. An inner knowing knew it was time to change direction, to shake the spiritual journey. In retrospect, the number ninety-nine was a profound sign.

Unlike the flimsy thread that these beads were strung upon, the thread that Allah Ta’ala connects with His creation is sturdy and resistant. However mankind tends to thwart and sabotage this union with so many banal excuses; arrogance, ignorance, neglect, laziness. Alhumdulillah Allah Ta’ala often responds to such futile attempts when He sees the slightest tug, firmly pulling the one lost towards Him and His Way.

I believe the practices and traditions I gleaned from many other disciplines formed a structure and training for the blessing of Islam that followed. The sublime and intrinsic relationship with Al-Khaliq and His most Beloved SallAllahu alaihi wasallam transformed what appeared to be a fragile thread from my side into what felt like a steel cable. SubhanAllah!

This blessing, regardless of how we have been gifted it, requires effort in maintaining, and one from the myriad of the blissful practices we have as Believers is Salat and Salam on our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

“The greatest source of blessings and mercy for the Muslim and for all of mankind is Muhammad, the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), sent as a Mercy to the Worlds. Muslims, as the most privileged recipients of this mercy, are required to invoke blessings (salat) upon him, and doing so holds great reward; the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever sends one blessing upon me, Allah will send ten blessings upon him” (Muslim). Abu Muhammad al-Marjani says, “Your invoking blessings upon him is in reality praying for yourself since the benefits of it are returning to you.”

According to the hadith master, Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi, the benefits of sending blessings on Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) are numerous: Allah, His angels, and His Messenger send mercy upon the one who invokes blessings. Such a person’s wrongdoings are expiated, his good deeds increased and purified, and his status elevated. Whoever makes it his complete regimen by day and night, both his worldly and otherworldly matters are taken care of. He is shown his abode in Paradise before his death, his wealth is increased, and more than one hundred needs of his are fulfilled . . .”

Following are the first eighteen of ninety-nine invocations of Blessings and Peace based on the Beautiful Names of Allah Ta’ala coupled with Prophetic Attributes, compiled by Shaykh Mawlana Yusuf ibn Sulayman Motala found in this delightful little publication.

In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful

He is Allah besides whom there is no god.

Most Beneficent! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, the clear proof.

Most Merciful! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, most graceful.

Sovereign! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, most pious and chaste.

Most Holy! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, most purified.

Giver of Peace! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, the haven.

Guardian of Faith! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, herald of truth.

Protector! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, the helper.

Almighty! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, most cogent.

Compeller! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet elect.

Glorifying Lord! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most humble.

Creator! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, the first light.

Maker! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most brilliant.

Fashioner! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet, the wise counsel.

Most Forgiving! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most grateful.

Conqueror! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most mindful of You.

Bestower! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most reverent.

Provider! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most generous.

Facilitator! Your blessings and peace on the Prophet most awed.

~*~

We have our ninety-nine beaded Tasbih, or Subhah plus a variety of other counters for tallying our daily Salawaat, as recommended by the majority of Shuyukh, past and present, providing a means to keep the thread of our connection to the Best of Creation SallAllahu alaihi wasallam as intimate as Allah Ta’ala Wills.

This digital tasbih is one I find most helpful when wanting to count into the thousands. It is a small, 6cm, extremely light weight little device with the facility to reach 999,999! I have some to post out to those who request same in the comments! Maybe some of you who aready use this would like to share your experiences.

Allahumma Salli Ala Sayyedina Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam wa Ala Aalihi Wa Sahbihi wa salama wa Taslima.

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June 9, 2008

home appreciation day [sharing] — almiskeenah @ 4:17 pm

SewQ (who also happens to blog at Islamic Homeschool Diary) initiated a ‘home appreciation day’ for today, with the idea of sharing what we love in our home. It doesn’t have to be picture perfect - just images of things you love in your home.

My contributions are far from picture perfect, but then this home is far from what the average definition of what the word ‘home’ is. When one feels that ‘home’ is the realm of the Hereafter, then why so much attention on appearances and fancy frills in this temporary prison cell of Dunya? Besides, I am within walking distance of our Beloved Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam who lived in a mud huts with dried palm leaves as a ceiling so low he could touch it. Doors were rough woven sheets and animal hides, windows high small openings in the walls, which once when Sayyidatuna Aishah RadhiAllahu anha placed a curtain over one was told to remove it as our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam was distracted by the pattern. He, SallAllahu alahi wasallam slept on palm mats, drank from water skins and ate from clay utensils. They did not have running water, kitchens or bathrooms, or whirring air conditioners for cooling. This is a palace compared to the noble housing then. A palace that once this speck may be dipped in Jannah, Insha’Allah Ameen Ameen Ameen, for a mere nano second its rustic features will be erased from memory. And if A’oudhabiLlah, this speck may be dipped in Jahannam then whatever luxury there may have been will also be permanently deleted. SubhanAllah.

The front door, offering privacy and security. I imagine this building was quite a mansion in its day, with the design greatly admired. All the doors in this much loved home have the markings of ‘attacks’. Times when the locks j-a-m s-h-u-t….

….as was the drama with this one. We had been here for only a few months and this speck was alone in the house for a few days. I used to use this room for drying the washing as there is no access to an outdoor area. At the time all washing was done by hand, and being a strenuous task the manner of dress was to say the least, skimpy. I had just taken a tub full of dripping things to hang when somehow this door SHUT! I was LOCKED in this small room knowing that ‘help’ was far away. I contemplated my options…jump from the first floor, and then what…skimpy attire and all….sit it out….it was the height of summer, already perspiring profusely..I could suck the moisture from the clothes…but how would I do Wudhu…my Salat…a wire coat hanger was all I had…so I began ‘operating’. Fortunately like most of the doors here, the wood was soft and pliable. Hours later with chips littering the floor I was out! Alhumdulillah. The next urgent task was to render all remaining locks on all other doors useless! Duct tape is a great asset, not only for this job of unique decorative details but for patching where termites have been banqueting! I was surprised when the door had to be refitted sometime later that the carpenter so skillfully added a new panel, relinquishing all the visible signs of my gouging with the coat hanger to the rubbish…it was very artistic!

I seemed to have inherited a paternal habit for recycling…this was a friends discarded dress, temporarily serving the purpose of a bathroom window curtain…until the fierce sunlight shreds it like previous ones. Most ‘curtains’ in this home are ‘have been something’.

Splashes of colour and flashes of retrospection…from Nana’s crock, to Dad’s Seafood Downunder cookbook, a Quetta cozy and Guatemala bag….all precious items Al-Wahhab, the Supreme Prison Warden Subhanahu wa Ta’ala has deemed to be in this home.

Alhumdulillah for boxes and books and for assorted offcuts of timber. Alhumdulillah for walls that exude the generosity of others, linking hearts, and Alhumdulillah for accepting functionality over appearances….for things that inspire and magnetize one to heights and goals beyond paint-flaking walls…

Alhumdulillah for reminders of all the Mubarak places our Blessed Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam trod. For a gifted Hilya espousing his SallAllahu alaihi wasallam Mubarak qualities. For the Sunnah of hanging a rod (except I choose a wooden spoon) in the home! Recently whilst visiting another sister here I saw a rod hanging by her book case. Upon asking if it was decoration or if it was used I was told in no uncertain terms that it was very active at Fajr time for her boys…not the girls!

Alhumdulillah for what little light…..SUBHANALLAH….you would not believe that as I was typing this very sentence the power went off!! This is when I think I am actually living in a cave as it is so dark without lights on even during the day…and now I am super sticky without the AC for more than an hour…Alhumdulillah ala kulli hal. Made me realize just how much is taken for granted about our homes and the conveniences we have. SubhanAllah.

So….I was about to say…Alhumdulillah for the little light that filters through this frosted glass. I love the patterns, I love thinking about the skills and techniques Allah Ta’ala has blessed mankind with in making all these things…I think about the one who painted this in such haste…not caring about the dribbles running all over the place…he was in Madinah! Does anything else matter? Maybe he was so engrossed in his Salawaat that such finer details were irrelevant…maybe he was so happy to simply be employed. This job may have meant meals for his family. Alhumdulillah for the faded wooden shutters blocking out some of the heat…..

Alhumdulillah for these dusty screens…blocking out all manner of creepy crawlies….yes, they are about, but Alhumdulillah not on the INSIDE!!! Alhumdulillah for the sounds that waft through this one and only open window from the Madrassah opposite…dulcet tones reach the depths of my heart for most of the day, Alhumduilillah….

Alhumdulillah for this prisoners wardrobe….muted tones to help suppress the nafs whilst attempting to ‘do time’ as instructed.

Once Al-Hassan RadhiAllahu anhu was dresed in finery and riding an elegant horse in the streets of Madinah when a Jew came to him asking if this Dunya is meant to be a prison for the Mu’min why is that you are wearing such elaborate clothing and I am so miserable. Al-Hassan RadhiAllahu anhu replied that all you see on me is my prison, while all your misery is your Paradise compared to what will follow!

Alhumdulillah ala kulli hal…. enough for now…I am off to visit my Beloved Neighbour SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and if for nothing else this is why I love and appreciate this humble home.

O Allah! Bless Muhammad, the family of Muhammad, his Companions, his children, his household, his progeny, his bleoved, his followers, his supproters, and all of us with them, O Merciful of the merciful. Ameen.

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June 7, 2008

confusion [Rambling] — almiskeenah @ 9:12 pm

Times are confusing…but do we have to be?

One of the blessed Sahabah, Huthaifa banul Yamman RadhiAllahu anhu, suffered various trials that affect the heart in its process of transformation and development. He observed illnesses of vice and deception while contemplating the nature of misdeeds. He chose to pursue all that was good and rewarding, the virtues of which he promoted. During trials he controlled his stance with stillness and contentment. He sought the avenues of repentance and regret to deepen the soundness of his spirituality, along with sincerity of devotion and gratitude to his Lord, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.

Umar bin al-Khattab RadiAllahu anhu once asked his companions if they had heard what the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam had said about fitan that will befall the people, where trials will descend one after the other just like the heaving waves of a heavy storm in the high seas. It was Huthaifa RadhiAllahu anhu who answered in the affirmative saying: “These trials will affect the hearts of all people without exception. Whoever refutes them, the trials will etch a white spot in his heart, and whoever absorbs them and is deceived by them, the trials will etch a black spot in his heart. Thus people’s hearts will be of two kinds: 1) A kind that is clear and spotless, and which nothing can affect as long as the heavens and earth remain; and 2) the second heart is one which is dark and opaque and it looks like a crooked corncob, and it will tilt one’s balance and lead him to his eternal demise on the Day of Judgement. Such a twisted heart will not acknowledge what is right and it will not deny what is wrong, and it will only accept what is already absorbed of rapacity and wantonness in this world as normal.

The time of such trials to begin is only held up by a closed door under the unremitting blows of destiny is almost shattering into pieces.” Umar RadhiAllahu anhu inquired: “You mean breaking open?” Huthaifa RadhiAllahu anhu replied: “Nay, I mean shattered into small pieces!” Umar then said: “Perhaps if it becomes open someone can close it again!” ”Huthaifa RadhiAllahu anhu replied: “Nay, it is certain that such a door will shatter into pieces. This door represents a man who kills the true Prophetic Traditions, disallows teaching them, and denies their authenticity.” (from here)

~*~

What are we doing, where are we heading?

A car horn blasts, the sound magnified as it ricocheted off the marble walls of the steps leading up to Jannatul Baqi and the opposite wall. Repeated blasts interjected with aggressive and abusive shouting from the driver, a ‘Commission’ member, attempting to move hundreds of sisters gathering in this area. Another lurch forward with the same yelling hurled from the window, arms frantically alternating between holding the horn and waving about as he remained glued to his position behind the wheel. And so he went, driving along the boundary looking as though any minute he would plough into the groups seated there. Onlookers stood in utter disbelief. I still reflect in disbelief.

Another;, walkie talkie in hand kicking a drink bottle belonging to a small huddled group of sisters sitting beside the farthest fence from the Dome of Peace. When this provocation did not move them he grabbed the corner of one of the spread prayer mats, attempting to pull it out from under them, still no reaction. So he calls for reinforcements! Along comes the ‘matchbox’ car with two commission members and two policemen! Now all five with flaying arms and yelling finally achieve the result of moving these sisters.

Mamnou’ mamnou’, forbidden forbidden, as a sister with a new prayer rug is entering the Masjid. This is new….new rugs are forbidden, this is shopping, new rugs are forbidden….no water bottles…water bottles are forbidden….no camera phones…go back…no camera phones, camera phones are forbidden, hurry, go back. All said in languages supposedly matching the outer appearance of the sister. Candy is allowed for those wanting to hand it out for Ikram, but chocolate covered dates are treated as a suspect camera, until the box is ripped open to find individually foiled wrapped dates…also ripped open as they too are suspected of being a camera! Bread is allowed and dates are permitted on the days of fasting…but simple bread with dates in it is thrown back at the sister.

A nearby commotion shook the reverie of a low hum. Heads turned to a tug between an Omani-masked sister and another from the sub-continent over one of the folding chairs provided by the Masjid. Arguing in languages unknown by either ensued, with others throwing their opinions into the fray. Suddenly the focus moved to a sister seated on another chair beside me. Accusing fingers and sharp tongues indicating she was the one who has taken a reserved chair, and not the Omani sister.

Other altercations pierce the air. Harsh strident words directed to others as they try to seat themselves in available spaces. The body language saying that this place was for another…waving hands gesturing them to move on. Constant instructions from the duty sisters increases in decibels as the time for Salat draws near and the steady stream of worshippers continues to flow into an already overcrowded area.

Outside in the courtyard during the time families are there is yet another dimension of discord. So sad. So very very sad.

Please take time to make Du’a for these sacred precincts. For this blessed land that still holds memories of the most blessed of footsteps of Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Layered with the best of his Companions RadhiAllahu anhu, and then their followers, and their followers and all the illustrious scholars throughout the history of our Deen. How true that each generation has moved further and further from such glory. May we ride waves of hope for change. Change from within as the fitan multiplies. Change that chooses focus over confusion, love for the Ahkirah over this existence. Change that etches a white spot in the heart due to the ever present love and application of the Sunnah, Insha’Allah, Ameen.

all because of love
when it arrived
my temporal life
from then on
changed to eternal

Rumi

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June 6, 2008

Juma’ah desert picnic [Juma'ah Mubarak] — almiskeenah @ 4:50 pm

Just back from a post Juma’ah picnic to the desert, having raced into Al Baik for supplies! Apologies for the brevity of my presence these days. Right now a race to post this while it is still Juma’ah here. I seem to be racing against weeks of an erratic connection, trying to rush to do things when it allows, and racing against an AC that has a habit of not being user friendly after a few minutes. Temperatures now reaching the 40 mark…add some more when in the desert….

…a country style minaret…speakers positioned to call the date farm workers to Salat…to success…

….these ships of the desert calmly showing no signs of racing for anything…

….’ships’ (because Arabs do not pronounce ‘ch’) of a different kind…with crumbed prawns….yum!!! I lasted a few minutes in the shade before retreating to inside the car with the AC on full…

….such magnificent creatures that thrive in the scorching heat…

…playing peek a boo as she looks for a tasty prickly thorn for her picnic…

…while this pair enjoy a dust bath….

….lush bounties from Allah Ta’ala….

…if this is how they are here in this existence….imagine how they will be in Jannah!!!!!!!!!!! Insha’Allah where our picnics will be in the shade of Rahmah whilst drinking beside Al-Kawthar from goblets of gold and silver, served by our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, Ameen Ameen Ameen.

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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